But one famous example is Father Damien (now a saint), who spent more than 15 years serving patients at Kalaupapa before contracting and dying from the disease himself at the age of 49 in 1889.

A celebration of life will take place on Thursday at St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa, said Father Patrick Killilea, pastor of the church where Kahilihiwa was a member. Killilea said he believed ...